Opinion – Is an Attestation Course a worthwhile investment?
The jury is still out for some on whether you need a Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA) before you join a UK based Airline. However, we are going to get off the fence on the issue and tell you- we really don’t think so!
Getting it for free
A CCA is a certificate of professional competency which permits you to perform the duties and responsibilities of cabin crew on European community registered aircraft. You will need to successfully complete the required initial training course and the associated examination in accordance with the regulations. Once this has been achieved the airline will award you your CCA. For free.
It might not pay to pay
Some companies selling expensive CCA courses will have you believe that it betters your chances of securing a job within the airlines as it demonstrates you are able to undertake intense ,complex training. However you will first need to get through the interview/ assessment process of the airline and this course will not give you the upper hand over the other candidates.
Having the Attestation will make no difference to whether you get through the assessment stage or not.
Prepare where it matters
What really matters is your personality, your ability to connect with others and how well you impress the interviewer. You will need a suitable CV which makes you and your experiences stand out, this will then lead to further assessment which may involve If at this stage you are successful you will be invited to an assessment day which may involve role play scenarios, group exercise and an interview. If you do not have a suitable personality for the airline that you have applied for, your assessment will be unsuccessful. So you can see why we think investing in a CCA course before the assessment process can be risky as there are no assurances for a return!
An exception?
In our view candidates with experience such as ex-cabin crew returning to the airlines could do a CCA course as it will cut down their training by about a week but other than this we can not see any other benefits of doing this course before you have secured a job offer.
As for the initial training once you are successful, the airlines have highly competent, experienced instructors who almost never fail to get you through the course.
Good luck!
